


Waiting Room

by Starlithorizon



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Carlos is a Good Boyfriend, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-07
Updated: 2014-06-07
Packaged: 2018-02-03 19:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1754951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlithorizon/pseuds/Starlithorizon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cecil waits for Khoshekh in the vet's waiting room after the StrexPet's attack. Cecil does not wait alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting Room

**Author's Note:**

> So maybe I have a backlog of things I haven't posted. And maybe this is on my tumblr already. And maybe all of this is true at once.  
> That's cool.

There were three traditional (for a given value of _traditional_ ) veterinary offices in Night Vale. Out of those, only two offered emergency services, and only one was open after six. Once Cecil bade the town good night, the scientist tossed an abrupt "I have to go" to his coworkers and ran out to the parking lot, fairly throwing himself into his Prius. The urgency wasn't necessary, not like it had been after the auction or the incident with the woman from Italy. That didn't negate the fact that Cecil was physically injured and in emotional distress, though, and it prompted him to drive just a hair over the speed limit the whole time. He wasn't stopped, or even really looked at; he did this often enough that it was clear that the Sheriff's Secret Police clearly harbored sympathy for him, or more probably Cecil.

He beat the radio host to the Desert View Animal Hospital, asking after Khoshekh, all worry and hope.

Cecil burst in shortly after, anxiety painted across his face in lines and creases.

"Cecil!" Carlos called from the waiting area the girl at the desk had directed him to. Cecil rushed his way, and rather than throwing his arms around the scientist as he usually did, he just stood there wringing his hands and looking close to tears.

"They said it'll be another ten minutes or so," Carlos said soothingly, resting a gentle hand on Cecil's shoulder. When he didn't shrug it off, Carlos took that as a good sign and led him to a chair, prompting him to sit. Cecil sank down heavily, like a lead weight. Carlos followed quickly behind, hand still soft on his shoulder, arm braced lightly over the curving slump of his upper back as Cecil let out a shaky breath and sagged forward.

"And...will he be okay?"

"That's what they're saying so far," Carlos assured him. And it was true enough; the girl had said that Khoshekh was doing well, and that he was going to be okay, mostly.

They waited those ten minutes, hesitant and together. Cecil was shaking, and when Carlos pulled him closer, he just tipped into the scientist and curled into his kindness. Cecil may have cried, but Carlos just ran his hand up and down his arm, trying to be as soothing as he could. He hated to see Cecil broken like this, and he hated the company that was doing this to him. They were poisonous, dangerous, horrific, cruel beyond belief. He minded how they hurt the town, of course, but the way they were hurting Cecil was absolutely crushing.

Carlos wrapped himself even more around Cecil, shielding him, absorbing the ache, whatever he could for this man who had become the moon and stars for him.

When the vet came out with the report, Cecil was half in a daze.

"He'll be okay," the vet said. "He was very badly injured, and he's lost an eye and part of one of his paws, I'm sorry to say. It'll be a different quality of life for him, but he'll be okay."

"I'd like to— I mean, I want..."

Carlos could read the words heavy in the air.

"We'd like to bring him home after his recovery," Carlos told the vet. "Is there anything we should do to make our home more accessible for him?"

Cecil blinked in shock. His lips curled inward, leaving his mouth a thin line as he obviously battled a huge smile.

The vet gave them advice to make their home a good one for Khoshekh, Carlos asked about building a prosthetic foot ("I'm a scientist,Cecil; if I can replace my own vocal cords, I can do this for Khoshekh."), and they left with the knowledge that they'd be bringing the cat home within a week or so. Cecil leaned heavily on Carlos as they made their way to the car, and when he sagged so heavily against the passenger seat and looked close to exhaustion, Carlos kissed his knuckles and drove to the small house that they called home.

They would get through this together, and he meant more than just adopting and keeping a cat recovering from a significant injury. They'd survive. They'd thrive and continue building this life together, just with the addition of a cat that Carlos still wasn't convinced was a cat. They'd make it.


End file.
